Mechanical sweeper



June 10. 1941. H. A. oLDs ETAL lMECHANICAL SWEEPER Filed Nov. 18, 1938 Eig'. E.

Patented .lune 10, 1941 UNITEDSTATES PATENT oFFlCE-f MECHANICAL SWEEPER Howard A. Olds, San Francisco, and Ira M. Wells and Ward Wells, Oakland, Calif., assignors to Spears-Wells Machinery Company, Inc., Oakland, Calif., a corporation of California Application November 18, 1938, Serial No. 241,236

4 Claims.

This invention, a mechanical sweeper, is vof the vehicular type customarily used for sweeping streets and highways.

Many difliculties h-ave been encountered in the operation of street sweepers due mainly to obstructional build-up back of the brush, and the pick-up of bricks, tin cans, boards and other bulky or heavy objects by the brush.'

In connection with obstructional build-up, the brush, usually of the rotary type, obviously encounters many different types of material, including dust, mud, and solid weighty or bulky objects, and where no means is provided for keeping the path of ilight clear from the brush to the hopper or other held or deposit, the sweepings gradually build up behind the brush or in the direction of discharge until the sweepings form a complete obstruction in the path of flight, and the sweeper gradually loses efliciency until, if the obstruction is not removed, it becomes entirely inoperative.

In connection with the encountering of solid objects, such as stones and bricks by the brush, these objects may merely be cast back a short distance, this immediately starting a serious obstruction in the path of flight of the sweepings.

Y Some existent types of sweepers are provided with drags or conveyors. However, in connection with wet material, such types of clearing devices become encrusted and will eventually become 4completely clogged so that they cease to function, land furthermore, they are very dilcult and inconvenient to clean. Such devices are easily made substantially inoperative by muck, and may be completely wrecked by a brick or other bulky object being cast into them by the brush. They also offer no assistance to the brush in the .projection of the sweepings, such as by suction or the increase in the velocity of air.

It is the purpose of this invention to eliminate all of the above mentioned difliculties through the introduction of a flight booster or high speed nail, which boosts the speed of flight of sweepings discharged by the brush to insure their deposit at a remote point, and, through the me' dium `of the fiailing action, maintain the ilail free of encrustation; and to operate the ilail at a peripheral speed preferably at least equal to the peripheral speed of the brush, so as'to urge, and increase the speed 'of night of slower moving sweepings through both, `the action of the high speed flails, and the suction created at the bottom of `the brush and acceleration of f the air set -up by the flails in` the direction of flight of the sweepings; and also to obviate the possibility of wrecking the booster by making the flails of a flexible or resilient material, such as rubber or belting, or similar suitable material, and toadditionally hinge the flails, so that the booster cannot become blocked =or be wrecked by an obstruction, such as a brick.

'I'he objects of the invention are 'as follows:

First, to provide a mechanical sweeper with a' flight booster for boosting the flight of sweepings discharged by the brush, so as to cause their deposit atv a point considerably remote from lthe brush,and to maintain the path of flight clearl of obstruction.

Second, to operate the booster at a peripheral speed sufficiently high as to insure projection of the sweepings to a sufliciently remote point and to insure suitable increase in speed of slower movingsweepings to .project them to the same remote point.

Third, to provide the booster with fiails of flexible material to make them self-cleaning and to obviate the possibility of wrecking of the booster or causing inoperativeness thereof through cooperation with heavy objects.

Fourth, to hingedly mount the `fiails so as to doubly insure safety from breakage, and to provide for a vibrational eiect through `deflection from the normal radial `position in which lthe flails are urged through the medium of centrifugal force, thus causing release of mud or other encrustation on the flails and associated structure.

Fifth, to introduce, through the high peripheral speed of the nails, a high velocity of air movement from the brush and along the path of flight to augment the flight of sweepings from the brush, past the ilail, to the hopper.

Sixth, to provide adjustment for the fiails radially, to compensate for wear at the 'outer edge of the flails.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description is rea-d .on the Adrawing forming a part of this specification, and in which similar reference characters are used-to designate similar parts in the several views of which; Y

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a mechanical sweeper shown fragmentarily, with the invention installed therein. z

Fig 2, is a fragmentary longitudinal section-a1 elevation through the mechanical sweeper, showing the relation of the booster to the brush and to the .path of flight, and is taken on a line 'just inside theA near wall of the sweeper chassis'v or body."

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation through the booster, and is taken on a line 3 3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the booster, with portions .broken away to show the internal construction; and,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the flail adjusting means.

The usual mechanical sweeper includes a chassis or body I0 whi-ch is vehicularly mounted, as on wheels I I, for transporting the sweeper along `a road or pavement I2. Dumping means, or a hopper I3 which can be lifted out and dumped is provided for reception of sweepings from the brush which is of the usual type, consisting' of a hub I4 mounted on la shaft I5 which is rotatably mounted in the chassis I0, and which brush is yprovided with the usual sweepingelementa such as bristles IE. This brush is driven by any of the well known means (not shown), such as by one of the wheels II, or by means of the motor used for propelling the vehicle, or by a separate motor. v

All of the elements so far `mentioned are well known in the art, and. therefore do not form a part of the invention, except in combination with, or in relation to, the other elements set forth inthe following description.

The booster, which forms the essential element` of this invention, consists of a rotatablydriven element comprising `a. shaft I1; a spider I8 xedly secured yto each end of the shaft I'I and having a plurality of equi-angularly-spaced arms Iii-having each a bearing formed adjacent the outerfend''thereof. The opposite ends of the shaft I'I are rotatably supported by the chassisA ill in spaced relation to' the brush I5. Anienlarged hub 2-Il spans theV space between the spiders I8, and acts to conne the path 2l of ,iig-ht of sweepings 22 to a predetermined angle relative to the horizontal, and to concentrate said path for delivery of sweepi-ngs within a predetermined field in a location remote from the brush., and also forms a rebound element for the ails to be later described.

A shaft 2,3 spans the space between the spiders I8 `for each pair'of. related arms i9 and has its opposite ends rotatably mounted in the respective bearings provided adjacent the outer ends of, these arms, and these shafts are maintained, against axial movement by any well known suitable means, such as collars, o1' in some manner similar to that indicated at 24,

A flail v2,5 is providedfor each shaft 23 and supported thereby, and preferably consists of a flat blade or strip of iiexible or, resilient material, such as rubber, or belting, although other material maybe substituted.

Each flail is secured "to a support memben, such as a structural angle 23, forming a rigid` reinforcement for the inner edge of the. blade, the balance of the blade being free. toA flex. These fiail-s are attached-to the shafts 2-3 bymeans of a plurality of bolts orfstuds- 21 for eachflai-l, the studs having one end iixedly secured in the angle 26 and the other end passing through a suitable vaperture 28` formed throughthe shaft 23 and secured in adjusted position by thev opposed nuts 29 and 3d. These bolts in addition to forming suppo'rtsfor the, ilail's', form the ad'justing'means for'adjusting the ails radially to compensate torwean' j Y i YAhocdorguardr 3LI'is formed about the-top, peripheral path of the iiails and extends .sub-'- stantially into cooperative relation to the brush-e I6 as indicated at 32.

As will be understood, the brush I5 and booster 3 can be mounted in any desired position, either at the front end, rear end, or intermediate the length of the vehicle, and may be driven by any suitable means.

In this case, the sweeping elements are indicated as mounted intermediate the length of the vehicle. The driving means for the booster is shown as consisting of a sprocket 33 secured on the end of the booster shaft I'l, a second, or driving sprocket 34 being mounted on the brush shaft t5, and a chain 35 lcooperating between Vthese sprockets, and which driving means is drivenbyl one of the means previously inferentially referred to, as through a chain 36 which will be herein considered as the driving means.

In operation, with the vehicle suitably propelled and the brush I 6 driven in the direction of the arrow 31, the sweepings are thrown from the bottom of the brush as indicated by the path of flight 38 of the sweepings.

The booster 3 is driven in the same direction, and preferably at the same, or greater peripheral speed than the brush, and the flails 25 are normally maintained radially under the influence of centrifugal force, as shown in Fig. 3, and operate directly in, and with the path of travel 38 of the sweepings, whereby loss of energy in the sweepings is immediately augmented or boosted, both, by direct action of the fails on the sweepings, and lalso by the velocity of theair 33 induced by these iiails, which tends` to maintain L the speed of ight of the sweep-ings constant or increase the speed thereof, from the time they leave the brush until they passthrough the path ofV the flails, and thus, the sweepings, instead of partially depositing close to the brush as indicated at Lit, are drawn, forced, and Vboosted in their flight to deposit at the remote point, as. in the hopper I3, as indicated at 22.

In the event that the Asweepingsare wet,V they will have a tendency to adhere to the ilails 25;

however, due to the fact that the iiails are formedl of flexible material, the sweepings will normally be releasedfrom the flails through the flexing and centrifugal actions, as also through striking ofthe flails on the hub and through vibrational movements set up as the iiails strike heavier particles or objects.

In the' event that larger objects, such as sticks, stones orbricks 4I are cast into the path of the iiailsthe flai-ls upon striking such objects will rebound to pass over them While successively pro--y Viding a beating action to move the object beyond their influence, and if the objects are sufficiently large or heavy, the nails will rebound and strike the hub 2l! as indicated bythe dotted position 25' indicated; thus the flail will'Y be thoroughly freed of adhering material andwill additionally function to free the hub Z of excessive accumulafl tion, and, instead .of yclogging or wrecking, the objects have the benecial effect of cleaning the booster. g K

The floor li-2 as illustrated is formed tangentially to the periphery of the brush and is plane throughout its extent andV entirely free of ob-V structions, depressions or pocketsand is also 'tangentto the peripheral path of the outer edges of the nails, andforms an obstructionless wall defining; one side of the path of flight of mate-V rials projected from theperiphery of the brush, and-f extends fromfa point adjacent to the brush toy aremote point *beyond the rotary conveyor.`

Any sweepin'gs discharged by the brush at an inclination greater than that indicated at 2 I, will either be deflected by the booster, or stopped and returned by the hub 2U or guard 3|, 32, and the instant upper portion of the booster.

The tendency to form obstruction in the path of flight of the sweepings; deleterious encrustation with consequent decrease in eillciency; as also the possibility of breakage or Wrecking of the sweepings removal elements or the flight booster, are completely obviated, and the sweeper will continue to function with highest eillciency, removal of the sweepings 22 occasionally being all that is required.

It will be understood that variations in construction and arrangement of parts, which variations are consistent with the appended claims, may be resorted to without detracting from the spirit or scope of the invention, or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

We claim:

1. A flight booster for trajected materials comprising a rotary conveyor to be driven in the same direction and at a speed atleast equal to,

and operating in the path of said materials, and 2 course; said spiders each having a plurality of equi-angularly-spaced arms and a bearing formed adjacent the outer end of each arm; a hinge shaft rotatably mounted at its opposite ends in related bearings of the respective spiders; and a flail rigidly attached to each shaft and adapted to beat on said drum to clear the drum and flails of adhering materials.

2. A flight booster for trajected materials comprising a shaft; a spider mounted adjacent each end of said shaft; said spiders each having a plurality of equi-angularly-spaced arms and a bearing formed adjacent the outer end of each arm; a hinge shaft rotatably mounted at its opposite ends in related bearings of the respective spiders; and a flail rigidly attached to each hinge shaft and comprising each a flexible blade, a reinforcing element of rigid material affixed to the inner edge of each blade; and studs securing the reinforcing element to the hinge shaft and forming means for radial adjustment of the blade.

3. A flight booster operating in cooperative relation to a rotary brush and comprising; a plane floor formed tangentially to the lower periphery of said brush; a rotary conveyor having a plurality of ilails for operating in the path of flight of materials when trajected by said brush, and operating in cooperative relation to said plane floor and in spaced relation to said brush and functioning to boost the speed of flight of the trajected material to or above its initial trajected speed for deposit of the material without change of its normal course other than its trajectory, to a remote location; and in which said rotary conveyor includes a hub with the inner edges of the ilails radially spaced from the periphery of said hub and pivotally mounted to permit the outer edges of the flails to strike and rebound from the hub under impact applied to the louter edge by obstructional influences, for loosening adhering material from the flails and hub.

4. A flight booster operating in cooperative relation to a rotary brush and comprising; a plane floor formed tangentially to the lower periphery of said brush; a rotary conveyor having a plurality of flails for operating in the path of flight of materials when trajected by said brush, and operating in cooperative relation to said plane floor and in spaced relation to said brush and functioning to boost the speed of flight of the trajected material to or above its initial trajected speed for deposit of the material without change of its normal course other than its trajectory, to a remote location; and in which said rotary conveyor includes a hub having a spider at each end and a plurality of arms on each spider and a bearing formed in each arm, and with the flails pivoted in said bearings and spanning between the spiders, and with the inner edges of the flails spaced from the periphery of the hub a distance less than the distance from the pivot to the outer edge of the ilail for rebound of the flail on the hub to free adhering material.

IRA M. WELLS. WARD WELLS. HOWARD A. OLDS. 

